


First Birthday

by phoenixnz



Series: The Chronicles of Martha and Jonathan [12]
Category: Smallville
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-27 20:41:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8416060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixnz/pseuds/phoenixnz
Summary: The lives of Jonathan and Martha from their first date to the Smallville finale.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Canon tends to mix up dates, especially with birthdays. I figured Clark's birthday is around the 14th or 15th of May, so for the purposes of these vignettes, his birthday is on the 15th of May, which is two days after the previous vignette. (Mother's Day was on the 13th of May in 1990)

“Hello sweetheart.”

Martha looked up from the recipe she had been busy frowning at. Normally, she didn’t have a problem with baking, but this was different. This was a birthday cake recipe and she couldn’t decide between making it chocolate or vanilla with lemon frosting.

Jonathan went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of milk, tipping it up to drink from it.

“Jonathan Kent! You know you’re not supposed to drink from the bottle,” she scolded

He grinned at her, totally unrepentant. She rolled her eyes at him.

“What kind of example do you think you’re setting to Clark when you do that?” she admonished him.

He had clearly decided it was better not to comment at all, leaning over her shoulder to look at what she was doing.

“It’s a birthday cake for Clark,” she said.

“Chocolate,” he replied, obviously understanding her dilemma. “He likes chocolate.”

“Chocolate it is then,” she agreed, going to the pantry to get her ingredients. She paused, sighing. “You know, I feel a little …”

“What?”

“Guilty. I feel guilty.”

“Why’s that, sweetheart?”

“Because every child should have a birthday party. All we’re doing is giving Clark a cake and some presents.”

“Honey, you know why that is,” he reminded her gently.

They’d talked about it over the past few weeks when they’d realised the date they’d picked to be Clark’s birthday on his adoption certificate was coming up. Clark was too little to understand that he needed to keep his abilities a secret. He might be smart, but keeping secrets wasn’t easy for a child his age.

While he seemed to have control for the most part, there had been an incident the week before which illustrated exactly why they were forced to keep him isolated. Like any toddler, Clark was bound to have little tantrums, especially when he wanted something and was told ‘no’. Martha couldn’t even recall what had started it, but her son had angrily stomped off, yelling about the injustice of it, in his own way, then punched a hole in the wall in the living room.

Jonathan had immediately picked the boy up and taken him up to his room, telling him to stay there until dinner time. While it hadn’t been amusing at the time, Martha could recall with a smile her two boys exchanging words. Clark’s speech had been pretty much unintelligible babble, but the tone had been furious. Jonathan had been equally furious, launching into a tirade that the three-year-old probably wouldn’t have understood. There were times when father and son were very much alike; Martha guessed Clark was just learning from his dad’s behaviours.

Speaking of Clark, she thought.

“Where is he?” she asked.

Jonathan had grabbed a cookie from the jar and was standing at the window as he munched on it, looking out over the field.

“Take a look,” he said, sounding amused.

Martha followed his gaze. Clark was out in the field, chasing the cows, or trying to at least, while the cows were ignoring him. She had no idea what game he was playing but judging from the big grin on his face, he was having a ball.

She turned to go back to her baking, becoming absorbed in her task. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed but she had most of the batter mixed when the screen door slammed and Clark came running in.

“Daddy, come play.”

Jonathan had decided to fix up the hole in the wall, but stopped in his task to laugh at his son. Martha looked up to see what he was laughing at and couldn’t help laughing herself. Clark was filthy. His clothes were muddy and his face was caked with dirt.

“You need a bath, kiddo.”

“Wanna play!” Clark replied, jumping up and down and giggling.

With a grin, Jonathan scooped him up in his arms and carried him upstairs.

“We can play in the bath with your battleships,” he said. “How does that sound?”

“Yay!”

Martha laughed quietly to herself, remembering when Jonathan had bought the little battleships. He’d been like a little kid in a candy store, exclaiming with delight over the detail in the ships. She had wondered at the time if he was buying them for Clark’s benefit or his. Their son loved his baths and didn’t really need toys to keep him amused.

The next day, the day they’d chosen for Clark’s birthday, dawned fine and warm. It wasn’t quite up to summer temperatures, but it was warm enough.

Martha had finished the cake and iced it the night before, after Clark had gone to bed. She still wished they had been able to invite some other children, but realised it was for the best. Maybe in a couple of years, she thought.

Jonathan came in, having been out doing the usual morning chores, clearly amused at something Clark was doing. They’d recently taken on a new farmhand, Earl Jenkins. While they were still careful to ensure that Clark wasn’t caught using his abilities, he had begun following the farmhand around as the older man worked. Earl didn’t seem to mind the endless chatter from the little boy. Jonathan reported that Clark was sitting on a haybale in the barn, watching Earl work. The older man was singing a pop song that was playing on the radio and Clark was doing his best to warble along with him. Badly, Jonathan added.

“How are we doing, sweetheart?” he asked, eyeing the cake.

Martha had decorated the cake with sprinkles and added the words, ‘Happy Birthday Clark’. It wasn’t anything fancy, but she figured Clark wouldn’t really care.

“Can you get the presents, honey?” she asked.

Jonathan nodded and ran upstairs, while she found the little pack of candles they’d bought from the grocery store and placed three on the cake.

She went outside and stood on the porch.

“Clark!” she called.

A little head of curly black hair popped out from the doorway of the barn. Her son grinned at her.

“Come here,” she said.

He shook his head, clearly wanting to keep watching Earl.

“Clark Jerome Kent, you get in here right now!”

He frowned at her, his eyes widening. Maybe he had only been with them seven months but even he knew when she used his full name he was in trouble. He ran to her.

“Mommy!”

“Don’t even start,” she scolded him. “Come inside.”

“But …”

“Now, young man.”

Of course his eyes widened for a different reason when he saw what was waiting for him at the table. Jonathan had lit the candles and placed the cake on the table, along with Clark’s presents.

Clark seemed confused. “Mommy? What’s that?”

“It’s your birthday cake, son,” Jonathan said. He picked up the toddler and plopped him on his chair.

“Happy birthday sweetie,” Martha said.

He stared in fascination at the candles, then reached out as if to touch the flame. Martha gently pulled his hand away.

“No sweetie, not like that. First you have to make a wish and then you blow the candles out.”

“What’s a wish?”

“Remember that movie we were watching, sweetie?” she reminded him. They’d been watching an old Disney movie after lunch on Sunday - Mother’s Day. “Think of something you really, really want, but don’t tell me or Daddy.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because if you tell us your wish, it won’t come true,” his father replied. “It’s a secret.”

Clark still didn’t seem to understand, but figured it was some kind of game. Martha watched as Jonathan showed Clark what to do. They sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and clapped as Clark blew out the candles.

The cake was eaten and Clark was happily playing with all the new toys he’d been given, spreading them out over the living room floor. Martha watched her son for a while as Jonathan cleaned up the kitchen. He came out and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Maybe it wasn’t the birthday party she thought Clark should have had, but he’d clearly enjoyed himself just the same.

“Okay, sweetheart?” Jonathan asked.

She nodded, her gaze locked on her precious little boy. Sometimes it was still hard for her to believe he was really hers. She recalled the day in Nell’s shop when she had wished for a child of her own. Maybe Lana’s game had been just that, but something magical had happened that day.

Clark looked up from his toys and smiled at her.

“Mommy, look,” he said, one hand on the little fire truck they’d found in the toystore.

Martha went to him, sitting down on the floor with him. Clark pushed the fire truck toward her, clearly wanting her to play.

“Want to have a race?” she asked, seeing he had a toy car in his hand.

He nodded and smiled happily. She placed the truck beside the car. Race positions.

“Okay, ready, set, go!” And they were off.


End file.
